Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ

We gather to celebrate the Lord’s Day on the last Sunday of the 2017 Liturgical Year and the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. In today’s Gospel reading we are given a glimpse of what Judgment Day will look like. All of us will be together and then we will be divided. The side on which we find ourselves will be determined by the manner in which we lived our lives. The criterion will be the response we had given to those in need. The hungry, the thirty, the naked, strangers, prisoners, the sick; all those we met during our life and how we responded to them will bring us either eternal life OR eternal punishment. The Lord Jesus reminds us that whenever we did or did not give to those in need, we did it to Him, the Lord and Master of our life.

The funeral liturgy testifies that we carry nothing with us into eternity except our good deeds. These are the treasures which surround us on the Day of Judgment before the Lord. All the other things, which some spend a lifetime acquiring, stay behind and will be of no benefit to us.

The Gospel message is warning us to be attentive to the needs of the unfortunate. We cannot have a blind eye. We cannot be self absorbed or indifferent. We cannot allow ourselves to be any of these things because our eternal future is at stake. We must be generous, we must show care and concern to those who suffer.

The Church is continually bringing before us worthy causes in which we are being invited to help others who are not as fortunate as ourselves. The Bishop’s Annual Appeal; the regular second collections at Mass, food drives, coat drives, disaster donations, are just a few of the opportunities which are placed before us throughout the year. These are the deeds we carry with us into eternity. As your pastor I am so happy that many of our parishioners are so generous and eager to give. However, that’s not everyone in our parish! It is to those that are greedy and indifferent that the Lord speaks to today reminding them of the end.

Next Sunday we welcome the New Year of Grace 2018 and the First Sunday of Advent. The Sunday lectionary will move to cycle B which will focus on the Gospel of Saint Mark the Evangelist. As we begin the New Year let us start with a renewed spirit. Consider coming to confession during Advent as we prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ.